Hurricane Boat Storage

[seabob4]

Re: Hurricane Boat Storage

We have been doing this in FL for decades. In '04, when we got hit twice in Tampa Bay, within 3 weeks, I had to do it twice and the 18 Proline suffered no ill effects. I basically fill the bilge until about 4" from the hatch. I also used mobile home tiedowns with ratcheting straps over the stern and midships. We got over 100MPH winds for about 6 hours, and she went nowhere, not a bit of damage on her.

Drained the water, filled up the tires, went fishing...

 

[red_chaser]

Re: Hurricane Boat Storage

thanks guys for all you advice.

What I think I'm am going to do is fill'er up with water and remove the air from the tiers. She's parked under a carport which is very strong, made of cinder blocks and reinforced with steel rebar and concrete. It survived hurricane dolly with no problem.

Here is a picture of my boat just in case you are wondering and get better ideas.

Thanks

 

[sasto]

Re: Hurricane Boat Storage

thanks guys for all you advice.

What I think I'm am going to do is fill'er up with water and remove the air from the tiers. She's parked under a carport which is very strong, made of cinder blocks and reinforced with steel rebar and concrete. It survived hurricane dolly with no problem.

Here is a picture of my boat just in case you are wondering and get better ideas.

Thanks

Worked for me through Jean, Francis, and Wilma all in one summer and all a Cat.3. I filled her up about a quarter the way to the gunnell and let mother nature fill her the rest of the way. The neighborhood lost roofs. storage buildings, trees, boats, bicyles, you name it. A couple homes washed into the intercoastal, The 18 footer never moved. The 35' sportfish was on blocks at the marina. No time to worry during a hurricane. Git-er-done.

 

[roozter2550]

Re: Hurricane Boat Storage

park the boat on the leeward side of the house as close as possible on grass or dirt

don't flatten the tires and ruin the sidewalls....place concrete blocks and 2x4 cribbing under the trailer frame...rear behind the axles, amidship in front of the axles and where the side beams meet the tongue.

get some anchors at home depot, (they're about 2' long and screw into the ground with an eye at the top

use 4 heavy duty ratchet straps, (2" wide with a 8000+ lbs rating), and strap it down.
1 strap at the stern
1 strap at the bow
cross the othe 2 straps from stern to opposite side amidship in an X pattern if possible


don't leave the plug in...let it drain

make sure gas tank(s) are full...can be used for generator fuel afterward if needed
onboard fresh water tank full
battery(s) charged

insurance paid up



prepare for the worst, hope for the best, as long as you're somewhere in the middle....you'll be ok

 

[BugsBunnyBoater]

Re: Hurricane Boat Storage

I had a boat go through two hurricanes at the house. My boat rode out Ike ok. The storm surge is what messed up a lot of boats, The get washed away.

 

[seabob4]

Re: Hurricane Boat Storage

This is a tried and true method, the St. Pete times has been putting this out for years...oh, don't believe one of the best newspapers in the country...

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Hurricane Boat Storage

Don't "fill" the boat. Water weighs about 8.3 pounds per gallon, so it doesn't take that much to weigh it down enough to keep it in place. By filling only to a necessary point, you will avoid stressing the boat (remember, it isn't being evenly supported) and the trailer. You should also jack the boat up and place blocks at multiple locations, around the frame. Make sure that you do not allow a lot of weight to rest on the tongue - if you do, it may bend. You should also tie the boat to a stable and strong tree, or other object. Since you will not be filling the boat completely, if your area floods, it may float, even with the trailer attached. By tieing to something, if this happens, it may survive in place.

Ideally, however, I recommend taking the boat with you when you leave. its the simplest solution and it gives you a way to get to your home after the storm, if flooding has occurred. This may or may not apply to you, however, depending on the characteristics of the place you live.

As one of the "been there, done that" crew, best wishes for a mild storm and good outcome!



???

 

[red_chaser]

Re: Hurricane Boat Storage

I can calculate the flow rate of my water hose and determine how much time to let it fill the boat.

How much water weight is enough to weigh down the boat?

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Hurricane Boat Storage

Judging the amount of water to put in, is pretty much a guess. As for the amount of weight, I would try not to exceed the capacity of the trailer by a huge margin. Once again, you just have to guess, because the trailer capacity is based upon not only the frame, but the suspension system too. If you block the trailer, what you are really doing, is to end up in a situation that bases ability to handle weight, solely on the frame members, rollers and bunks.

BTW, one thing that I forgot to mention, is that you should orient the boat in line with expected wind direction, which will shift as the storm passes. You are going to get lots of gusts in all sorts of directions, but you can help to some degree, by positioning the boat such that it ill be mostly head on or stern on to the steady state winds. You can also improve the situation, by putting the boat on a side of your house that will block the winds as much as possible.

Another thing that I neglected to mention - and was just reminded of it, because we are getting feeder bands from Alex here in New Orleans right now - is that if you leave the boat open, you are going to get lots of additional water in it, from the intense rains. If there is any way that you can cover the boat with something that is secure enough to withstand the wind, I would do that.



???

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Hurricane Boat Storage

Jay you hit on the problem with partially filling a boat and that is, the rain will do the rest, until you get to a scupper, transom cut, etc. So it depends a lot.
I think that those who have successfully used the "water weight" method were not particularly scientific about it. I doubt anyone starts with them filled to the brim. So the coorect answer to "how much" is "some, but not too much."

 

[seabob4]

Re: Hurricane Boat Storage

I think that's pretty much about the norm. Like I said, I fill my 18 flats bilge until it's about 4" from the bilge hatch. I also fill my livewell behind the helm.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Hurricane Boat Storage

good idea onthe livewell and other compartments you could plug--and don't forget to fill the gas tank!

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Hurricane Boat Storage

Come back and let us know how you made out!



???